Gilju

Kilchu stands in the northeastern Korean lowlands, where the Namdae River waters fertile ground near the coast. Long before the rise of Joseon, the surrounding country formed part of a contested northern frontier. In 1390, late in the Koryŏ dynasty, the place formerly called Haeyang was renamed Kilchu and made the seat of a military command. Its later administrative buildings bear witness to its role as a local seat of government.